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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — temperature
  5. degree — an amount
  6. swing — in golf
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. foot — a measure
  11. swing — to play on
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. chair — a leader
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. swing — music
  24. bat — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com